UKH

Six or seven years ago I established a UKC ticklist of neglected but good quality sub-extreme routes in the Lakes. At the time none of the routes had more than 13 entries on their respective UKC pages. Today 14 of the 34 routes in the list have more than 13 entries so some of the routes are getting more attention. Two stand out - The Central Route (VS 4c)  on BowfellButtress now has 35 entries and Harristickorner/Spillikin Ridge (VD) now boasts 44! At the other extreme, among the routes on the list that I've actually done Cheekwooly (S) hasn't been climbed once by another UKC habitue and two of the best on the list, Grooves Traverse (HVS 5a) and Carpetbagger (VS 4b)  have only one entry each since 2013. 

The only one of the climbs on your list (https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=637) that I've had the pleasure of is Harristickorner/Spillikin Ridge. To be honest, I thought the first pitch was a little bit of a sandbag at VD and route-finding on the top pitch proved deceptively tricky - though, being a very cold November day, we perhaps didn't take long enough to decipher the correct line.

Are there any others you would add to the list? I've heard there are some good routes on these very quiet crags:

- Raven Crag (High Stile) Raven Crag (Highstile)#overview
- Boat Howe:  Boat Howe Crags#overview
- Dropping Crag:  Dropping Crag

 

See no 24

See no 23

Not done either of these.

Have walked past it a couple of times but it doesn't appear to have gear and I'm a wimp.

We went to Dropping Crag soon after its development because we'd liked Crook Crag nearby, but were disappointed as it is of completely different character. As Rog says it's also a bit short on gear.

Of the other "recent" developments along there we thought Lower Brandy Crag was similarly disappointing (where you and I were heading for when you had an injury Rog - you didn't miss much!) whereas Brandy Crag we enjoyed. Upper Buck Crag is OK and Upper Buck Crag slab is delightful, as is Birks Bridge Crag. I still haven't got as far as Kepple Crag. Not far away Pen is good if you can find it via the man eating bracken.

My logbook entries will show you the routes we did at these nice and quiet but not spectacular venues.

The ones I haven't done are on my list Rog. The Gimmer ones I did in the seventies, each with rare but delightful partners of mine, and agree they're good good  climbs. I don't really recall much of Central on Bowfell as we did it as an escape having failed on one of Les Brown's, as usual well named routes, Rubicon Groove, so I guess we were feeling a bit disappointed and humbled so failed to notice the quality. Pity.

May not have missed much that day, Martin, but that injury kept me off the crag for about a year.

Not far away Pen is good if you can find it via the man eating bracken. 

Pen is good and deserves more attention, but only go before July. Did you find the Thwacking Stone? (one of my gems).

Trouble is, Martin, if I want to get, with my climbing gear, to most of the ones on the list I haven't done so far I'll need a helicopter. 

I think the Gimmer ones, paradoxically, suffer from being on Gimmer, because there are so many good routes there of those kinds of grades that people never get to those on the North West Frontier as it takes a tiny bit more effort to get to them. I don't know if your memory goes back to 1977 when you did it, but I think Grooves Traverse is nothing short of sensational in terms of route finding and position. The only thing I can remember about 1977 was doing a sub-3hr marathon. I'd struggle with three days now.

Martin

Rubicon Groove is a Dolphin route and pre-dates Les.

I have however produced a Les Brown ticklist: https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=3972 

Sorry for the thread hijack Rog

Steve

Almost did Cheekwooly last time we were there but ran out of time!

Agree Harristickcorner much harder than VDiff. P2 is easy enough to find once you realise that the walk is about 6 feet rather than 20m!

Is The Borrowdale Stare (VS 4b) really that good? We did the two recently added 2* Severes on the lower crag there and thought them both a bit poor. I guess we need to go back and find out.

Borrowdale Stare is excellent, easy to get to and on perfect rock. I though 2 stars because there were a couple of escape options down the scarp on the right.

That's a shame Simon. It's one of the best in the list. Don't miss it next time.

Well, I thought it was worth its 3*. Great line, superb clean rock, good gear, sustained and 50m long. 

No problem. It's rather a meandering sort of job anyway. I was getting a bit bored.

Of course it is Steve. Thanks for the correction. I guess I was thinking of The Gnomon, Les's route on North Buttress. I'll certainly have a look at the list - we used to seek out Les routes - relatively few but always high quality.